The padel court: Where everyone is welcome to play
• 3 minutes read
Padel's accessibility is attracting all sections of society to the court. Over a million players in Britain have discovered that it's a sport anyone can play - and Pride Month is the perfect time to celebrate this burgeoning diversity.
Seun and Laura Crowe from Bristol are perfect examples. Only 18 months ago, Seun was a self-confessed 'couch potato' who had never played a racket sport, whilst her partner Laura was (by her own admission) overweight, struggling to make friends and considering moving cities. Then they discovered padel.
"This sport has changed my life, no doubt about it," says Laura. "It's given us both such a healthy lifestyle." Seun also highlights the "incredible community" they're now an intrinsic part of through playing virtually every day at Rocket Padel in Bristol.
Early last year, Seun and Laura started entering tournaments, but found the experience wasn't always tailored to their level of play or well organised, with long breaks between matches and a lack of information about what was happening. "Our main takeaway was, 'Could tournaments be a bit more fun?'" said Seun.
That was the kernel of the idea for Pride Padel, which stages padel events for LGBT+ players plus allies of all playing abilities, including beginners. Events include Intro to Padel sessions, tournaments, social mix-ins and coaching clinics.
Laura explains: "We try to make our events community-led, welcoming and approachable for LGBT+ players and allies, particularly people who may not have felt comfortable entering traditional sports spaces before.
"Calling it Pride Padel ensures that everyone who comes along arrives with the attitude, 'I'm cool with everyone here.' That umbrella itself creates a space that makes everyone feels welcome.
"When you create queer spaces, it can make people more likely to come along because they know they'll be accepted. Pronouns will be respected and a trans woman will know she can use the changing rooms, for example. At the same time, we want it to be open to every type of person, including straight people."
Pride Padel has organised 10 sessions since its launch last September. Next on the calendar is a Summer Fest on 4 July in Bristol (free intro to padel then a friendly tournament), a collaboration with London Pride on 18 July at Rocket Padel Ilford and LTA competitions.
Whereas at the start they had to "grind" to drum up participants, Laura and Seun now see every event fill up as soon as they post it on their Instagram and Whatsapp groups.
Drawing on their own formative competitive experiences in padel, Laura and Seun ensure that all players have a full schedule of the event and are fully informed about what's expected of them at every stage; beforehand, and throughout the day itself.
"It's just that bit of extra care to make sure people know what to expect and have a good experience," says Seun.
"A lot of people these days have social anxiety. When they haven't been out of the house for a while, they might lack confidence when they're going somewhere new, so they want to know what to expect."
Laura adds, "They want a warm welcome, good communication and safety. It's about your use of language, being accessible for everyone, but more than anything I think it's about the atmosphere."
Pride Padel put a lot of preparation in to ensure coaches and session plans are well-suited to the level of players taking part. They work with selected brands to ensure goody bags and prizes are worth taking home, and provide lots of extra touches; ice cream vans, cakes, coffees, racket and shoe demos, check-in desks, personalised schedules and more.
Afterwards, they might explain to beginners how to book a court on the apps — a potential barrier to follow-on participation that less diligent organisers may overlook.
"Padel is such a new sport, so we like to think we're setting the standards for what people should expect at events," says Laura. "It's just about making it a bit more special and personalised.
"Padel clubs can be male-dominated spaces, which is to be expected in a sporting environment. But by making a few changes, you can make it much more inclusive and less intimidating. We make room for everyone to play, make friends and learn from each other."
